The S.C. Research Centers of Economic Excellence will use Carolina and the state's other research universities as engines to rev up the creation of new discoveries, new businesses, and new jobs

By Kathy Henry Dowell

The vision behind the S.C. Research Centers of Economic Excellence is simple: harness the energy of relevant research to improve the economic and physical health of our state.

Making that vision a reality is more complex. In time, the centers will link universities, business, and government, creating a powerful triumvirate that can work together to attract outside researchers, national funding for research, and capital investment by private companies.

“The key to economic development in South Carolina is research, and research itself is the first step in job creation,” said Sam Tenenbaum, a retired steel company executive who first proposed the idea for the endowed chairs program and is now vice chair of the S.C. Research Centers of Economic Excellence Review Board. “The research centers are the catalyst to accomplish this.”

The vision was born in 2002 when the S.C. General Assembly passed the Research Centers of Economic Excellence Act. The act authorized the state's three public research institutions—USC, Clemson, and the Medical University of South Carolina—to use Education Lottery funds—matched dollar for dollar with non-state funds—to strengthen research and create endowed professorships in areas that will enhance the state's economy.

“The legislation creating the S.C. Research Centers of Economic Excellence was the first of three bills passed by the Legislature for university-based economic development,” said Bobby Harrell, '78, speaker of the S.C. House of Representatives. “The state is banking on the research universities to enhance South Carolina's well being through the creation of well-paying jobs.”

The three universities submit competitive proposals for the funds, which are available for 10 years at $30 million per year. Often, two or three of the universities will submit a proposal together, pooling their collective expertise.

For example, USC has been awarded more than $11 million for research on creating versatile plastics and fuel cells, already a large research area at USC. USC also will participate in a $5 million initiative on developing cancer therapies with the Medical University of South Carolina.

“We are gratified that these initiatives were singled out for funding,” said Harris Pastides, vice president for research and health sciences. “These particular research initiatives have enormous potential to improve the lives of South Carolinians and people everywhere through better cancer drugs, more efficient vehicles, and more versatile plastics.”

The centers can “serve as a technological extension service, where our best and brightest collaborate with industry at a much higher level than they do today, and the centers run parallel to the kind of research we're already doing,” said Tony Boccanfuso, director of research and economic development at USC.

“The endowed professorships will be used to attract and retain leading researchers who will produce pioneering research and have teams of people working with them. These teams will include other senior and junior faculty, graduate students, and public-private partnerships with business and industry.”

As the Research Centers of Excellence develop, Boccanfuso envisions more industries wanting to work side-by-side with faculty on the various research projects. “Through the research and its eventual application, I think we'll see job creation and other economic stimuli, such as patents and licenses,” he said.

Each center will include an endowed chair, or lead researcher, supporting faculty and staff, and accompanying resources. These in turn will attract graduate students and companies that want to partner or benefit from the research projects. If the goal is realized for the next 10 years, experts at MUSC and USC predict that as many as 10,000 new jobs will result.

“The review board favors proposals that are collaborative in nature, and institutional cooperation is a critical part of the success of the centers,” Boccanfuso said. “Together, the three institutions have all the necessary pieces to make it happen.”